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TheEpicSquared

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    Through Hardships to the Stars [Chapter 32 - Something Big II]

    in KSP1 Mission Reports

    Posted · Edited by TheEpicSquared

    CHAPTER 2: SPACEPLANE-1

     

    "A space station should have a crew, right?" asked Dave Kerman to his lead spacecraft designer Mike.

    "Yes, that would help," Mark replied.

    "Well, get on it!"

     

    After nearly 23 minutes of developing, the SP-1 (SpacePlane-1) was born.4k6a73U.png

    The spaceplane itself had a mass of just over 9 tons fully fueled. It would be propelled into orbit on top of a Vector liquid-fuel engine and two Kickback SRBs. However, the first test launch would have to wait.

     

    Cameras on StarDust had shown that the two ageing habitation arms were randomly moving around, stretching and bending the entire station. It was presumed the leaking atmosphere inside the arms were creating enough thrust to move the arms [In reality, Kraken]. They would have to be removed from the station immediately to prevent the StarDust from breaking apart. lfu70pf.png

    [In this image you can see how the ends of the arms do not align as they are supposed to.]

    Monopropellant was immediately transferred into the habitation arm's tanks and the arm was undocked from the station.4avhUZH.png

    Unfortunately, Mission Control had underestimated the fuel consumption of the RCS ports and the arm ended up stuck in a slightly lower orbit with no fuel left.

     

    The same procedure was done with the second arm, but this time the tanks were filled with 3 times more monopropellant. This was enough to deorbit it and soon it hit the atmosphere.U7ETas9.png

    Soon, parts started overheating and exploding.SOAQRNS.png

    Surprisingly, most of the arm survived reentry and splashed down.u2YB0zD.png

    [Also, I don't know why the apoapsis sign is in the image]

    Without the two habitation arms, the station was once again stable, and the unmanned test of SpacePlane-1 could begin.

    3 hours later, SP-1 was on the pad, ready to launch.

    "3... 2... 1... We have liftoff!" announced a mission controller.CB4CBhr.png

    At liftoff, the Vector engine operated at 50% thrust to conserve fuel. The 2 Kickbacks were more than enough to get the rocket off the ground.

    5wiIwZI.png

    Booster separation, and the Vector throttled up to 100% thrust.Sy8Gn9c.png

    Finally orbit was reached and a rendezvous was planned. "7.1 kilometers!" shouted an astonished mission controller. We're doing better than when the IKSP was government-backed!"eFM9gb1.png

    All maneuvers were completed successfully and the spaceplane separated from its rocket 1.4km from the station.

    G3mpOba.png

    The spaceplane guided itself in with its RCS thrusters and was soon upon the station.qARNdFO.png

    "Docking confirmed," announced a mission controller. "In the dark, as is only right and proper."mmCK21U.png

    SP-1 stayed docked to the station for a quarter of an orbit, testing various systems and making sure everything was working. Then it undocked from StarDust.7IVz5Af.png

    It descended to a lower orbit using its RCS thrusters first, to reduce reentry speed.bML0zSi.png

    Then, its 2 Spark engines took over and deorbited the spaceplane.ntaIX0D.png

    Reentry was nominal, if a bit on the warm side.XelPb1v.png

    Since there was no particular landing site for the spaceplane, it just pointed down after the plasma trails stopped.44FAifp.png

    Coming in for landing...7oE0CgP.png

    The 3 Juno engines were on half thrust to prevent slowing down to stall speeds.kTztKii.png

    "Touchdown confirmed, SpacePlane-1 is in good condition!" announced an ecstatic mission controller. "Mission success!"

     

    With the complete success of SpacePlane-1:Test-1, kerballed missions to StarDust could begin.

    One day later, Expedition 1 (callsign SP1-Ex-1) was constructed, and a crew was assigned.AGroRN6.png

    The mission was once again at night.

    "3... 2... 1... We have liftoff!" announced Mission Control.PD2Y3gz.png

    Ascent went nominally and soon Expedition 1 was in orbit with a planned rendezvous with StarDust.MqHJnRb.png

    All maneuvers were completed successfully and the rocket part was ditched less that 1 kilometer from the station. [Come to think of it, I should probably slap on a probe core and deorbit the rocket for future missions. As of now, it's just floating around posing a hazard to arriving spacecraft].7YjLAqF.png

    The spaceplane guided itself in under the power of its RCS thrusters.RawfBUK.png

    1OEQxva.png

    "Docking confirmed," radioed Jeb to Mission Control. "Expedition 1 has reached StarDust."

    Expedition 1 would stay on the station for some time, waiting for the Science Module, the next module planned for StarDust. With the station's development plan stable, Dave Kerman was now also setting his sights on Kerbin's neighbour, Duna.

    Through Hardships to the Stars [Chapter 32 - Something Big II]

    in KSP1 Mission Reports

    Posted · Edited by TheEpicSquared

    UPDATE:

    I was working on some body-lift space plane designs yesterday and I almost cracked a good(ish) design. I'll do a few more tests and maybe have the next part of the StarDust station by Friday. 

    SPOILER:

    Spoiler

    The next part will include the disassembly of part of the station, as well as the introduction of crews to it (hence the spaceplane tests)

    Stay tuned!

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